S
spaceguy
Hi all: I'm new to the forum. Hope you can help.
I am a teacher who uses and writes Astronomy activities and lesson plans for
high school use and for enjoyment by anyone around the world, using MS Word
2002. Inside my MS Word docs, I have an embedded hyperlink that relative
links to a Windows shortcut file on my hard drive. The shortcut launches
another application (an Astronomy simulation program). When a reader clicks
on the embedded hyperlink in the MS Word document, it activates the shortcut
(installed in a specific place on their computer), which in turn, launches
the Astronomy program. It works great and flawlessly ... on hundreds of
computers that have run the Activities!
That is, until I or anyone else installs a video game ... any video game
.... on their computer. As soon as they do so, that hyperlink to that Windows
shortcut inside the MS Word document no longer works. Clicking on it does
nothing. I have NO IDEA why installing a video game should have any impact at
all on how MS Word activates hyperlinks inside its documents. It makes no
difference if I have MS Word open or closed when installing the game. The
effect is the same. The video game also does not have to be running for the
effect to happen. What is really weird is that this seems to be strictly an
MS Word problem. The Windows shortcut file itself still works fine if I click
on it separately (outside of the Word document). It launches the app without
problems.
Stranger still, the video game has no impact on how MS Word launches
hyperlinks to the web. They work fine. It is only launching a Windows
shortcut or a hyperlink to another application that seems to be the problem.
Worse, uninstalling the video game does not remove the problem. I actually
have to "system restore" using the Windows XP restore feature, to a time
before I installed the video game. Then ... the MS Word hyperlink works
again just fine.
It also is not confined just to my system. I've had at least 20 other
students/users around the world report the same effect on their computers.
ANY HELP would be greatly appreciated!!! What could the installation of a
video game do to MS Word's treatment of embedded hyperlinks????? How can I
fix it?
Thanks in advance
spaceguy
I am a teacher who uses and writes Astronomy activities and lesson plans for
high school use and for enjoyment by anyone around the world, using MS Word
2002. Inside my MS Word docs, I have an embedded hyperlink that relative
links to a Windows shortcut file on my hard drive. The shortcut launches
another application (an Astronomy simulation program). When a reader clicks
on the embedded hyperlink in the MS Word document, it activates the shortcut
(installed in a specific place on their computer), which in turn, launches
the Astronomy program. It works great and flawlessly ... on hundreds of
computers that have run the Activities!
That is, until I or anyone else installs a video game ... any video game
.... on their computer. As soon as they do so, that hyperlink to that Windows
shortcut inside the MS Word document no longer works. Clicking on it does
nothing. I have NO IDEA why installing a video game should have any impact at
all on how MS Word activates hyperlinks inside its documents. It makes no
difference if I have MS Word open or closed when installing the game. The
effect is the same. The video game also does not have to be running for the
effect to happen. What is really weird is that this seems to be strictly an
MS Word problem. The Windows shortcut file itself still works fine if I click
on it separately (outside of the Word document). It launches the app without
problems.
Stranger still, the video game has no impact on how MS Word launches
hyperlinks to the web. They work fine. It is only launching a Windows
shortcut or a hyperlink to another application that seems to be the problem.
Worse, uninstalling the video game does not remove the problem. I actually
have to "system restore" using the Windows XP restore feature, to a time
before I installed the video game. Then ... the MS Word hyperlink works
again just fine.
It also is not confined just to my system. I've had at least 20 other
students/users around the world report the same effect on their computers.
ANY HELP would be greatly appreciated!!! What could the installation of a
video game do to MS Word's treatment of embedded hyperlinks????? How can I
fix it?
Thanks in advance
spaceguy